Rebecca Nichols, Violin

photo by Christian Colberg

See the Christmas at Hopkins Impromptu feature from Overture Magazine

Chamber Music Performances:

February 17, 2013

When not rehearsing or performing with the BSO, how do you spend your time?  I am quite an avid quilter, but to avoid sounding too much like someone’s grandmother, and to sound maybe a little less nerdy, I prefer the term “fiber artist.”

I decided that music would be my career while still in elementary school.  I have never had the slightest interest in doing anything else.

What kind of music helps you unwind?  I have rather eclectic tastes:  I’ve recently discovered Judas Priest!  I enjoy big band, Latin music, and sometimes even classical, but the truth is that after a hard day at work, I mostly just prefer silence.

I listen to National Public Radio in my car.

I prefer the classic, plain-old ring on my cell phone.

What is the last book you read?  OK, I’m married to an academic with a library full of books with lofty titles and a large circle of academic friends to go with it.  In order to hold my own in conversations at dinner parties and not end up sounding like a complete idiot, I try very hard to fill in the gaps of my own music filled education by reading the classics.  I’m currently half-way into Anna Karenina, but I must confess that I’ve been secretly reading the “Harry Potter” series on the sly.

The non-musical accomplishment that I am most proud of is…I am the parent of a son with special needs, and for most of his life I have raised him alone.  His unique view of the world and the challenges that he faces have taught me a great deal that I would never have encountered otherwise.  In spite of all my failings as a mother, he has become a very accomplished and responsible young adult who I am very proud of, and who I believe will make a fine contribution to society during his lifetime.

What is your guilty pleasure?  I watch the Bravo Television’s “Project Runway.”  I know it’s a reality show, but…

What is your favorite vacation spot?  I like going to new, unfamiliar places for vacations.  Our family has camped in Nova Scotia, enjoyed the beaches in Mexico, and last year we spent a fabulous 10 days in Istanbul.

The last movie I saw was…3:10 to Yuma.

If you could choose another instrument to play, what would it be?  I wish I had a great voice.  I always wanted to sing, but I never had a very good instrument, and unlike most other instruments, you can’t just go out and buy yourself another one.  I’ve had to content myself with making my violin “sing.”